NEW YORK CITY — After indulging in one too many Egg Nogs or chocolate Yule logs over the holidays, many of us are looking for ways to get our bodies back on track.
Whether you want to target the liver, clear up your skin or drop a few pounds, there are plenty of products that can help. DNAinfo spoke to a host of natural health stores around the city to find out their most popular detoxifying products.
(NOTE: Consult your doctor first to make sure that any of the products mentioned below are safe for you to consume, particularly if you are pregnant or have any underlying health conditions.)
If You Put on a Few Unwanted Pounds:
Natural Factors CLA from Perelandra Natural, 175 Remsen St. in Brooklyn Heights
Price: $24 for a four month's supply
This product is said to reduce the amount of fat that cells the body can store while increasing the productivity of enzymes that process fat, according to Anthony Gonsalves, a Perelandra Natural staff member. CLA — Conjugated Linoleic Acid — is a type of omega 6 fatty acid and helps speed up weight loss naturally, Gonsalves said.
Green Coffee Bean Extract from Back to the Land Natural Foods, 142 Seventh Ave., Williamsburg
Price: $25 for a month's supply
Green coffee bean extract boosts your metabolic rate. "Even when you're resting, your metabolic rate is higher so you burn more calories," said Damian O’Hara, the store manager. It also gives you more energy and is a supplement for overall health, he said.
If You Had a Little Too Much to Drink:
LiverX Cleanse from Forces of Nature, 1608 Sheepshead Bay Rd., Sheepshead Bay
Price: $29.99
This product contains amino acids and detoxing herbs such as milk thistle. “People take it before and after they party,” for an immediate remedy to hangovers, according to Dmitry Lembersky, the store manager. It can also be taken on a regular basis before food for a continual boost to your body’s own liver detoxing functions, Lemversky said.
This cleanse is Health Nuts's highest seller, according the store’s manager. It uses raw ingredients to cleanse the body by clearing out the digestive tract. Roy said the seven-day cleanse from Garden of Life is gentle and won’t make you put your life on hold.
Swedish Bitters from New Age Nutrition Health Food, 4532 Broadway in Washington Heights
Price: $14.49
Swedish Bitters are an oldie but a goodie. The herbal tonic contains almost a dozen ingredients, including cardamom seed, cinnamon bark and saffron flower. Its function is to stimulate bile production in the liver, which helps to speed up the breakdown of all that greasy food you ate last week, according to store manager Svetlana Regio.
If Your Body Needs a General Pick-Me-Up:
Beauty Drops from the Organic Pharmacy, 353 Bleecker Street in the West Village
Price: $99
Beauty Drops contain ginseng, gotu kola and bilberry, all purported to strengthen capillaries and boost energy. The product is unique in that you can either consume it orally by adding a few drops to water or add it to your facial cream and apply directly to skin, according to Lisa Alessandri, the store manager. The store also does facials, homeopathy and health assessments.
SHINE from High Vibe, 138 E. 3rd St. in the East Village
Price: starting at $21
SHINE is a supplement developed by Bob Dagger, the owner and founder of East Village natural health story High Vibe. With spirulina, vitamin C and cayenne pepper as key ingredients, SHINE is said to strengthen hair, skin and nails.
